Google Japan has released the newest version of the Gboard, a unique double-sided keyboard that’s based on the Möbius strip, integral to math, science, and popular culture. Usable by one person or several, the Gboard really is a keyboard with a twist.
The Möbius strip, a one-sided surface that can be constructed by affixing the ends of a rectangular strip after first giving one end a half-twist, has been around for centuries. Its use spans mathematics, science, art, engineering, literature and music.
However, a computer keyboard version of the Möbius strip has never been seen – until the groundbreaking developers at Google Japan designed it. Introducing the newest iteration of the Gboard.
In terms of its specs, the Gboard’s double-sided ortho-linear design is created by connecting 26 modules, each containing eight key switches. It has 208 keys, more than twice as many as a regular keyboard, and is connected by a USB-C cable.
The Möbius-inspired Gboard allows typing from any angle by one person or a group of people, taking collaborative projects to the next level. Even better, the designers of the distinctive keyboard have made its firmware and hardware design freely available on GitHub, meaning you can create your own using a 3D printer.
Okay, okay. Here’s the real deal. Ever since Google gave up April Fool’s Day jokes in 2021, Google Japan has stepped up to create ‘Keyboard Day,’ held on the first of October each year, to release crazy keyboard designs that serve no real function other than to make us laugh. Why pick October the first? Well, 10/1 = 101, which is the standard number of keys on a keyboard.
The double-sided Gboard is just the latest in a long line of whacky keyboard designs that have included a teacup version and a stick version, essentially a string of letters and numbers on one long keyboard that you can see in all its ridiculousness in the video below.
If you do visit the GitHub website – which really does include the designs for the newest Gboard as well as previous zany iterations – you’ll find a statement that reads: “This is not an officially supported Google product.”
Source: Google Japan